Hanwha Eagles Baseball Team Unveils Robotic Fans

A South Korean baseball team, the Hanwha Eagles, has unveiled a new legion of 'robotic' fans designed to let people watching at home participate in live matches.

Officially known as "fanbots", the mechanical fanbase occupies three rows at the team's stadium, and also hold placards with embedded LEDs to display messages at the crowd and the team.

Based in Daejeon, the team said it wanted to find a way to encourage the crowds at its games to engage with the action.

One fan - Kim Seung-bi - said in a press release: "I like the fact that I can send messages even when I am not in the ballpark or not watch the game on TV. I am proud of being an Eagles fan as the club has pioneered the world’s first all-digital cheerleading troops."

The team added:

"In addition to the usual support messages like “Go Eagles!” or “I Love You, Eagles!” the robots wearing uniform shirts and jeans can relay text messages sent by the fans within the park or outside. They can also show the fan’s face on the screen, adding more fun to the game."